Ear-muff.



W. '11; FRENCH.

EAR MUFF.

APPLICATION I'ILED AUG. 11, 1910.

1,010,248. Patented Nov.28, 1911.

WITNESSES.-

I A M y I o I ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAMI-IORACE FRENCH, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

EAR-MUFF.

. To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Ear-Muff, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to ear muffs forv protecting the ears against injury from cold or other causes, and has reference more particularly to an ear muff which comprises a frame adapted to encompass the ear, a covering upon the frame and constituting a guard for the ear, and a keeper associated with the frame and adapted to extend transversely across the ear and to engage the same to secure the ear muff against displace ment.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durable ear muff which serves efliciently to cover and protect the ear against the injurious efiects of cold, wet, wind, etc., which is compact in form, and which is so constructed that it can be securely held in place without the use of a spring bow or other devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide ear'muffs adapted to be used in pairs in the usual manner, and connected by an elastic cord or like flexible member, so that the ear muffs can be easily placed in a pocket when not in use, means being provided for securing the ear muffs against accidental dis placement, which obviates the necessity of a spring bow or any other device for securing the ear muffs in place.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of my invention in use; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the frame of an ear muff of my invention in position encompassing the ear; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of apair of ear muffs of my invention. I Before proceeding to a more detailed ex- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 11, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28,

Serial No. 576,627.

planation of my invention, it should be clearly understood that. the ear muff itself is provided with means for retaining it in place upon the ear without the necessity of employing a spring bow connecting the muffs of each pair, and serving to clamp upon the head of the wearer, to hold the ear muffs in place. The ear mufl's of my invention also obviate the necessity of securing the same in position in any other of the usual manners, for example, by attaching them to a head covering and providing a band or the like, to pass under the chin ofthe wearer. The ear muffs are connected merely by a flexible member such as an elastic cord, which permits the mufis to be placed together when not in use, and does not interfere with their being put in a pocket or otherwise arranged in small compass.

Certain of the details of construction shown for example herewith, form no part of the invention, and can be varied in accordance with individual preference and special conditions, without departing from the underlying principles of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide for each ear muff a frame 10, fashioned from suitably stiff and resilient wire or any other like elongated member adapted for the purpose. The wire of the frame is bent into substantially annular form, and is so proportioned that it can conveniently encompass the ear of the wearer, passing under the helix and the lobe and in front ofthe tragus, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 2. At one end the wire has a part 11 inwardly disposed across the annular frame, and bent upon itself to form a substantially triangular keeper. The extremities of the wire terminate at the junction of the keeper and the frame, at the front of the latter. The plane of the keeper isat substantially right angles to that of the frame. A suitable covering 12, consisting of a warm fabric or the like, is mounted upon theframe in any suitable manner and is secured upon it by sewing or the like. The keeper, too, has an envelop of fabric, which acts as a cushion.

The ear muffs of each pair are connected by a flexible member 14, the ends of which are provided with loops 15, secured to the frame of each muff. The member 1 T may consist of an elastic cord or any other suitable device adapted for the purpose.

When the ear muffs are in use, each one is placed upon an ear, with the frame 10 thereof encompassing the ear and passing under the helix 16 and the lobe 17 and along the front of the tragus 18. The keeper extends inwardly and transversely across the hollow of the ear and engages at the inside of the helix and over the antehelix. The member l l has a suitable adjusting device 19, by means of which the length can be altered so that the wearer can adapt it to his own head, in order that when the ear muffs are in place the member can be placed under a slight tension. This tends to draw the ear muffs backward, and brings the keeper in secure engagement with the car, so that the muifs are held against accidental displacement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

An ear muff comprising a frame formed from a single elongated member adapted to encompass the ear loosely, and having an integral part constituting a keeper extending inwardly and transversely across said frame, and adapted to engage the ear at the inside of the helix, to hold the mufi against displacement when the frame is pressed in a rearward direction, and a cover upon said frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HORACE FRENCH.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. KAHN, OAKLEY H. KELLose.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

